A common feature of many voice communications services, such as telephone and wireless (cellular) services, is the provision of voicemail services. Such services typically allow a party attempting to call a subscriber to record a voice message when the subscriber is, for example, unavailable or engaged in a conversation with another party. Voicemail services are typically provided using a “mailbox” metaphor, and may include, for example, the ability to record greetings and to organize and manipulate recorded messages stored in the “voice mailbox.”
FIG. 1 illustrates exemplary conventional operations for establishing such a voice mailbox. A customer calls the telephone company business office to request creation of a voice mailbox (Block 110). In response to the request, an employee at the business office generates a service order (Block 120) and conveys the service order to the company's voice mail provisioning system (Block 130). The voice mailbox provisioning system then creates the voice mailbox (Block 140). The customer may have to wait days for creation of the voice mailbox and may be unable to obtain real-time information about service status. In addition, service charges may be applied for creation of the voice mailbox, and further charges may be applied if the customer wishes to modify (e.g., add or delete) features of the voice mailbox.